What isMakaton?

Makaton is a language programme that gives everyone a helping hand to talk.

Who is it for?

Makaton is so flexible it can be personalised to suit any age and ability. It’s both for babies who can’t talk yet or children and adults who need a helping hand to talk. Find out more on our blog.

Why is it needed?

Makaton connects people to the world around them, helping overcome feelings of frustration and isolation. It changes lives.

How does it work?

Makaton is easier done than said. You’ll be amazed how much you can learn so quickly, which means that you can start to communicate straight away.

Makaton is proven to develop speech, language and communication skills. Using gestures and pictures, people tell someone what they want, make choices and join in.

Makaton gives someone their voice.

Finding ourvoice

This year sees a new louder and prouder Makaton, helping even more people to spread the word.

We’ve been developing the Makaton language programme for nearly 40 years. And in that time, we’ve made a huge difference to thousands of lives, breaking down the isolation people feel when they experience difficulties and can’t speak. We’ve helped them feel more connected to the world around them and given them a voice.

But we can only continue to help people if we reach more people. To do that, we needed to find our own voice so we can inspire people about our mission and what we stand for. And communicate what we want to say, more clearly.

Let's talk Makaton

Quite simply, our new brand is all about communicating what Makaton is and how easy it is to use. It’s a rallying invitation to start, join in and get talking!

Makaton is simple, fun and expressive. So our new brand is exactly this — reflecting a bright, positive future where we all talk Makaton!

Introducing Okey

Say hello to Okey, our new icon for Makaton. It’s an expressive logo, designed to communicate what Makaton is — the combination of gesturing and speaking. Did you spot the speech bubble between his fingers?

But Okey stands for much more than that. Okey represents the openness, the liberation, the positive relief of being able to communicate with each other. That things are changing for the better. And that everyone can reach their potential.

Okey is a mark of quality too — a kitemark — helping us to uphold the standards of how Makaton is taught and used in everyday life. In short, Okey is our helping hand!

Into the future

We imagine a world where everywhere is Makaton Friendly. It’s our hope that Okey will be popping up all over the country in Makaton Friendly cafes, schools, museums, castles and online as we aim to change even more people’s lives.

But we need your help to do it.

So, get involved and show your support! It’s easy, just join us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, check out our products or find out more about us.